Geography

Sipadan is the only oceanic island in Malaysia and it rises approximately 600 metres (2,000 ft) from the seabed. It is located in the Celebes Sea, east of the major town of Tawau and off the coast of Borneo. Sipadan was formed by living corals growing on top of an extinct volcanic cone thousands of years old. Sipadan is located at the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin which is the centre of one of the richest marine habitats in the world. More than 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this ecosystem. Sipadan was popularized by famed sea-explorer Jacques Cousteau and has since been rated by many dive experts as one of the top dive destinations in the world.

At Sipadan, divers and snorkelers get to see marine life roaming freely and moving in great numbers. Rare diving scenes are frequently seen in the waters around Sipadan: schools of Green turtles and Hawksbill turtles feeding and mating, schools of Barracudas and Jacks in tornado-like formations, White-tip reef sharks and Gray reef sharks on the prowl and pelagic species such as Manta rays, Devil rays, Hammerhead sharks and Whale sharks. At a distance, in the deep blue in between Sipadan and Mabul you will get a good chance to encounter schools of dolphins and Pilot whales racing in the shallows too. A limestone cave lies underneath the column of the island at around 20 meters with a labyrinth of tunnels and chambers that contain many skeletal remains of turtles that become lost and drown before finding the surface. For that the cave is called the Turtle Tomb.

Sipadan and its surrounding islands are open 24/7and since the monsoon wind has a minimal effect here, you can visit Sipadan at any time of the year. However due to the restriction set by the Government of Malaysia to minimize human impact on the island, only 120 visitors are allowed daily in Sipadan.

To ensure a trip to Sipadan, you are adviced to book Sipadan well in advanced. To book a Sipadan entrance permit, contact us!

Sipadan Dive Sites

We can trully say that all the dive sites at Sipadan offer you good dives with plenty to see and be wowed about! Although the extraordinary Barracuda Point is the only dive site rated as world class, Sipadan offer you spectacular sightings of turtles and sharks, fusiliers and snappers, butterflies and angels and many more in all its other dive sites, at any time.

Scuba divers are not the only ones who get to enjoy the marvels of Sipadan. Snorkelers will be surprised as to how clear and warm the water is and how much they can see from the surface. Turtles come up to breath and they mate at the shallows, swirling jacks and barracudas, the school of batfishs, fusiliers and snappers and the herd of bumphead parrotfishs are regularly spotted in very shallow depth.

The highlights of Sipadan would have to be at Barracuda Point; home of the Chevron barracudas. It is here where you get to see the massive school of barracudas as they surround divers in an enormous vortex, leaving them in awe. Besides the barracudas, you can see many White-tip sharks in the channel of Barracuda Point and Grey-reef sharks near the wall. Oh and don't miss the massive school of Jacks circling near the surface of the entry zone! There's also a good chance to spot the Bumphead parrotfish grazing when you join the dawn dive. Barracuda Point is the perfect place for underwater photography and videography.South Point is another one of our favourite spot. The currents can be strong here but you do get a chance to see something really cool like the Manta rays and Devil rays, Hammerheads and Thresher sharks. Green turtles and Hawksbill turtles, Dog-tooth Tunas and a school of juvenile Grey-reef sharks and other variety of sharks can be spotted here as well.

For divers looking for an easy and relaxing dive, Hanging Gardens is the ideal dive site. Hanging Gardens is a typical wall dive and it offers you colorful abundant walls. The reef walls are healthy and covered in soft corals, seafans and large barrel sponges that are home to smaller tropical reef fishes and crustaceans like Clownfish, Damselfish, Butterflyfish, Sweetlips, Spiny lobsters, Anemone crabs, Commensal shrimps and colorful Nudibranchs.

Turtle Cavern on the other hand is one special dive every cavern diver must visit! The unique cave system and turtle skeletons made Turtle Cavern one of the highlights of Sipadan that has appealed to specialty and technical divers for decades.Following the left side of the cavern will bring you in front of a tunnel that connects Turtle Cavern with Turtle Tomb: a small cave system which contains many turtle skeletons. This is due to the great number of turtles that ventuered deep into the cave and got lost and drowned. Special training and equipment and experience are required prior to entering this magnificent cave.

History

SIPADAN got its name from the word Sempadan which means border/boundary and Pulau Sipadan would mean "Border Island", a suitable name to describe the island located near the boundary of Malaysia and Indonesia. However according to another resource, Sipadan got its name from Siparan, the name of a man who was found lifeless on the beach.

1800s: The local seafarers received the privilege and exclusive rights to collect turtle eggs at Sipadan for trade.

1933: Sipadan was declared as a bird sanctuary by the British as at that time, Sipadan was an important stopover for migratory birds.

1961: A lighthouse was built at the southern part of the island as an aid to navigation for pilots at sea.

1964 - Pulau Sipadan becomes part of the turtle egg native reserve of Sabah - an important step in protecting the very species that would make Sipadan famous.

1983 - Although dive trips to the island were being run by Borneo Divers as early as 1983, Jacques Cousteau's film, 'Ghost of the Sea Turtles' brought international fame to Malaysia's only truly oceanic island. Jacques Cousteau once said "I have seen other places like Sipadan, 45 years ago, but now, no more. Now, we have found again an untouched piece of art..."

1997 - Sipadan is now well recognised as not only a major tourist draw for Malaysia but also a place of outstanding natural beauty under threat. Its fame is bringing divers to its reefs every day with at least two to three hundred divers and snorkelers visiting each day.

2000 - On April 23 year 2000, my friend Lee along with 20 other people were kidnapped by the Filipino Islamist terrorist group Abu Sayyaf. The armed terrorists arrived by boat and forced 10 tourists and 11 resort workers at gun point to board the vessels and brought the victims to their base in Mindanao. All victims were eventually released.

2002 - In the past, the island was at the centre of a territorial dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia. The matter was brought for adjudication before the International Court of Justice and, at the end of 2002, the Court awarded the island along with the island of Ligitan to Malaysia, on the basis of the "effective occupation" displayed by the latter's predecessor; Malaysia's former colonial power, the United Kingdom and the absence of any other superior title. The Philippines had applied to intervene in the proceedings on the basis of its claim to Northern Borneo, but its request was turned down by the Court early in 2001. The dispute between the 3 neighboring countries show commercial value that Sipadan possess.

2004 - The Government of Malaysia announced Sipadan Island as a National Park under direct protection of the government bodies responsible of conservation works. The government ordered all on-site dive and resort operators of Sipadan to move their structures off the island by the 31st of December 2004. Dive operators were quick to relocate and rebuilt their resorts at nearby islands like Mabul and Kapalai as well as establishing dive centers at the town of Semporna. Soon, MabulIsland, Kapalai Island, Mataking Island and the town of Semporna became popular as the new place to stay and dive and as an alternative to the now restricted Sipadan.

2005 - The Government of Malaysia announced that only 120 visitors are allowed to visit Sipadan each day, from 6am to 6pm only. This made Sipadan no longer accessible for sunset and night dives. Only a few selected dive operators were given quotas to lead trips to Sipadan and each operator were given a fair share of the 120 permits.